Upside down Pipe!

You should watch it again. Torquil's pipe is only upside-down when they're at sea in Ruairidh Mhór's boat and the wind's blowing and the waves are crashing into the boat. It would be difficult to keep a pipe going in conditions like that and I don't think that the pipe is alight for long, even upside-down. Just before the waves crash into the boat (soaking Joan [Wendy Hiller], Torquil ungallantly sees the wave coming and ducks behind the cover - but doesn't warn Joan ) Torquil is smoking his pipe, the right way up. But as the weather worsens he turns the pipe upside-down and we don't see any more smoke coming from it.

I always thought he is using it more as a comforter.

Steve

Actually...
I was just watching it again, showing it to a friend. As the weather starts to deteriorate Torquil turns his pipe upside-down as I said. But as he's taking a compass bearing he does take a few puffs on his upside-down pipe. But then they run into the squall and the waves wash Joan's dress over the side and flood the engine, just as they approach the whirlpool

Steve

My father always smoked a pipe and if he was out and about in foul weather he would often be seen with it upside down to keep the bowl dry. It was a common sight amongst outdoor workers years ago when pipe smoking wasn't the novelty it is now.
On the very rare occasions that I
smell pipe smoke of somebody passing it brings home such vivid memories of my old Dad.